It is hard to believe it has already been a year since the Direct Air Capture Coalition (DACC) launched. In that short time, we have made tremendous strides in advancing and accelerating the responsible development and deployment of Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology to help fight climate change. With a diverse, growing base of DAC leaders in our organization, united by a shared commitment to being a part of the solution to the climate crisis, the Coalition has achieved some significant initial milestones. Let’s take a closer (but non-exhaustive!) look at what we have achieved together in our first year.
The Stakeholder Rocketship: from 32 to 86 (and growing!)
From a strong base at launch of leading innovators, the Coalition has expanded from 32 companies, non-profits, and academic and research institutions to 86 organizations (and growing), including nearly 40 innovative DAC technology companies. We are often one of the first organizations that stakeholders from across the globe reach out to for advice when they have an interest to engage on DAC. We have been blown away, not just by the growth of this field, but the cross-cutting innovative approaches people are taking to DAC.
Supporting the Ecosystem
Our goal is to support the timely, effective, sustainable, and responsible growth of the DAC ecosystem. We have created a rich repository of DAC-focused educational and informational resources including a Report Library, FAQ, DAC Company Directory, News Hub, Video Library, and more. Our monthly newsletter, the DAC Dispatch, recaps the latest news in the DAC space, member updates, upcoming events, open vacancies. If you have not signed up already, be sure to catch your monthly DAC dose here.
To help serve our members, we have created a connectivity channel available to all DACC members and partners to share news, intel, updates, and opportunities for collaboration, as well as organized a speakers series for Coalition stakeholders to hear from, and engage with, key actors in the space, featuring groups such as Breakthrough Energy, Patch, Frontier, Climate Agency, Rondo, DNV, NETL, WRI, among others to address topics related to policy changes, buyer insights, RFP walkthroughs, communications strategies, zero-carbon heat and electricity sources, and measurement, reporting, and verification standardization, technological development and commercialization pathways, and progress tracking.
A Global Champion for Direct Air Capture
Through conferences, webinars, podcasts, and media articles forums, we’ve spread the word to raise awareness and inform key stakeholders and the public about the potential for, and necessity of, developing and deploying direct air capture technology to help combat climate change.
Utilizing our broad and diverse set of coalition members, we have been and will continue to be well positioned to inform policy. Submitting public comments and responding to national consultations (e.g Department of Energy RFI on demand side support mechanisms) is foundational to our work, along with educational sessions for key decision makers across the policy, finance, academia, advocacy, and technology spheres.
Proud to be Partners
We launched the coalition with the intention of anchoring our activities alongside the bustling and ever-growing community of carbon removal organizations. Some of those we are most proud of are:
- Working with Carbon Market Watch, we co-organized Carbon Markets Watch, the first of a series of events between direct air capture companies and folks in the European environmental NGO ecosystem, kicked off last month. We hope to help build connections and allow both sides to better understand what the direct air capture technology is, where the joint priorities are, and how we can help address concerns.
- Participated in Kenya’s National Workshop on Carbon Removal, alongside our partners the Global Carbon Removal Partnership and Climate Action Platform for Africa.
- In partnership with Climatebase, we launched the DAC Coalition Jobs Board, a bespoke hiring portal for the DACC member companies and partner organizations.
- Collaborated with the Footprint Coalition to establish a Negative Emissions Technology leg of their Science Engine program which provides fast, small-sized grants for DAC-related research projects to help advance scientific and technology progress in DAC;
- Partnered with OpenAir Collective to support the 2023 OpenAir Carbon Removal Challenge, a worldwide contest for students to gain hands-on experience with new technologies that capture excess carbon directly from our atmosphere, soil, and waters; and
- Alongside several other leading CDR organizations, helped implement the CDR @ COP27 Online Portal which served as a dedicated online platform streaming events and publishing commentary, news and thinking on carbon removals during COP and beyond.
- Earthshot Prize 2023 Official Nominators
Through our focus on coalition building, advocacy, awareness raising, public outreach, fostering partnerships, knowledge sharing, connectivity, and collaboration, the coalition is driving the responsible development and deployment of DAC technologies. These achievements set the stage for even greater advancements in the days, months, and years to come, as the DAC Coalition continues to pave the way towards a sustainable and resilient future for our planet.
A MASSIVE THANK YOU to all of our members, partners, and observers.
